Engineering and Construction: Fifth and Forbes Water Main Replacement

Fifth and Forbes Water Main Replacements Off to Productive Start
Trench for new water main on Forbes Avenue, near Miltenberger Street. Trench for new water main on Forbes Avenue, near Miltenberger Street.

In early May, PWSA began a major water main replacement project spanning from the Central Business District, to Uptown, to Oakland. Crews will be replacing the water mains and service lines on both Forbes and Fifth, from Sixth Avenue to the Birmingham Bridge. If any lead service lines are found as part of the work, we will work with customers to replace with a non-lead material at no direct cost to the property owner.

To date, water main has been installed on Fifth Avenue, from Van Braam Street to Jumonville Street, and on Forbes Avenue, from Jumonville Street to Kirkpatrick Street.

This project is part of a major utility coordination effort, involving Peoples Gas, Duquesne Light, the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure  (DOMI), and the Port Authority of Allegheny County. PWSA’s infrastructure improvements will be followed by the construction of the Port Authority’s Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT), slated to begin in late 2023.

Project details and work schedules

  • Fifth Avenue: work will occur during the daytime, Monday-Friday, between 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
  • Forbes Avenue west of Chatham Square: work will be completed at night to avoid traffic congestion, Monday-Friday, between 8:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
  • Forbes Avenue east of Chatham Square: work will be completed during the day, Monday-Friday, between 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  • Wyandotte and Moultrie Streets are “no-outlet” streets receiving water main replacements and will be completed during weekends, from 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Crews will work in one-block segments to minimize no-parking zones, with one lane of traffic on both streets maintained throughout the project. Asphalt in the street will be temporarily restored, leaving final restoration to be completed as part of the BRT project. PWSA work is anticipated to be complete in spring of 2022.

For project updates and contact information for questions or concerns, visit Pgh2o.com/FifthForbesWaterMains.